1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for encapsulating seed by gel, which is particularly applied to production of minute seed encapsulated by gel in a plurality of lines continuously.
2. Related Art
The Japanese Laid Open Gazette Hei. 8-149906 describes a well-known conventional technique with respect to encapsulating seed by gel by use of gelling mixed with nutrition, medicine and the like, wherein seed are inserted one after another into a single nozzle so as to be encapsulated by gel. Encapsulated seed in gel produced by use of the technique can be supplied enough for the generality of farmers, however, cannot overtake the desired sum for a nursery company, an agricultural cooperative association, an extensive farmer and the like. Thus, such a well-known technique for continuous production of encapsulated seed in gel that seed are inserted into a plurality of nozzles simultaneously as described in the Japanese Laid Open Gazette Hei. 9-149710, for example, is used conventionally.
However, the conventional gel encapsulating apparatus of the above prior arts aim at processing seed like paddy rice having diameters between about 7 and 12 mm and cannot process the smaller seed than those. Because, there occasionally happens that some of minute seed are suspended in a seed supplying hopper, some enter an absorbing nozzle as a carriage of seed, which is so constructed as to absorb a seed against the mouth thereof, thereby clogging the absorbing nozzle, some stick to the inner surface of a processing nozzle for encapsulating seed by gel, and some take their positions on the outside of gel.
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which can encapsulate seed by gel steadily, even if the seed are such minute seed as to have diameters smaller than 7 mm, so as to enable continuous production.